Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-12-09
JAPANESE EXECUTIONS.
The wonderful Skill of the Headsmen EN-
ployed in Oriental Countries.

The wonderful Skill of the Headsmen EN-
pioyed in Oriental Countries.
As each man stepped from the path
OIL to the plateau his eyes were firmly
bandaged with white paper. the only
act of mercy ! saw vouchsafed that
morning. Finally they were ranged
in line, the two cripples huddled on
the ground. their poor heads as they
dropped from shoulder to shoulder be-
ing roug lily buffeted to proper angle
by the pc. cemen in charge. This ac-
complished. amid silence so absolute
that we could almost hear our hearts
beat, the great man on the camp-st ol
rose and. unfolding large document.
read in a loud voice what we supposed
to be a description of the crimes for
which the poor fellows were to suffer
and the process of condemnation and
sentence. This was very long bust
ness. and before it was nearly finished
the native spectators were laughing and
joking upon the appearance of the
doomed men, with that callousness to
human suffering which so much black
ems the otherwise amiable and pleasing
character of the Japanese people. At
last it was finished. A. there were but
five holes for sevon prisoners, two
would be obliged to remain in blind
agony while their companions were
being dispatched. Five men were ar.
corlingly thrust forward with the
slaves and fists of the police; each man
was made to squat on Il mound. his
clothes-if filthy, tatered rags could
be called clothes-stripped from his
shoulders. his hands tied behind his
back. and his head pushed forward
over the hole. Our feelings at this
awful moment can better be imagined
than described. but l think we felt
qni'e as much pity for the two poor
wreiches left alone to listen to what
was going on without that riificial aid
to forlitude which the sight of crowd
sometimes gives, as for their COM
paniOns on their death seats. UndOubt-
eddy execution by the trenchant Japa-
nese sword is as mercful a death rs
can be desired; but the Oriental ma
ture. as if to compensate for this
erring on the side of mercy, counter
balances it by an undue prolongation
of the preparations for death, which is
worse than hundred deaths. SO in
this case. AS the poor fellows knelt
over their holes the executioner slow
ly and deliberately took off his coat
and barred his arms. Then he took
from lis silk casing the fatal sword.
examined it fondly and lingeringly
from the the Yasuri me, or filings on
the hilt to keep the grasp from slip
ping. along the Kirimon. or groove in
the blade. to the point. held it over a
pail while a coolie trickled water
down it, and with a great deal of SCI
Ting of his feet was ready. l felt sick
and giddy. but kept my eyes fixed
on the scene. AT sign from the of
fetal on the camps DOL. the execu-
toner raised his sword slightly, hard
ly half a dozen inches, and almost be-
fore | could realize it the mans head
was hanging over the hole by single
ligament. and the blood was gushing
forth in torrents. then saw why the ex-
ecutioner had not completely severed
the heal; and the wonderful skill of
The japanese swordsmen, using as they
do the most perfect weapons in the
world, can be imagined in so arrang-
ing the force of the blow that absolute
decapil alton does not take place. He
tore the head off and held it toward
the four sides of the square; then he
gave it to a coolie, who roughly
plastered the severed portion with clay
and stuck it on kind of elevated
shelf In the meantime two coolies
were humping on the back of the
PROSTATE body to hasten the rush of
blood. after which one of the coarse
mats was thrown over it and it was laid
aside. l had seen enough. and turned
my head away as the executioner, after
wiping his blade with paper, APP
preached the second poor wretch. who
was shouting out something at the top
of his voice. whether confession or a
henunciation of injustice l was not
scholar enough to understand. = Gentle
mans Magazine.